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Suspended NIA DG, Oke, Admits Jonathan Ordered Release of $289m

The
suspended Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb.
Ayodele Oke, has met with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, where he
admitted that his agency received the sum of $289,202,382 on the orders
of former President Goodluck Jonathan in February 2015.

President
Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, ordered the suspension of Oke over the
role of the NIA in the ownership of $43m (about N13bn) and other
currencies uncovered in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Buhari also
ordered the suspension of the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, in connection with his indictment for
contract fraud by a Senate ad hoc committee on mounting humanitarian
crisis in the North-East.

A top government source, on Thursday,
confided in one of our correspondents that the Osinbajo-led committee
had directed Oke to submit documents to back his claim.

It was
learnt that the suspended NIA boss had also gathered documents which
would be formally submitted to the panel showing that the transaction
was approved by Jonathan through the embattled former National Security
Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

It was learnt that the
transaction was known as an intervention fund for national security or
special services with the aim of fighting insurgency during the six
weeks period between February 14, when the Presidential/National
Assembly elections were postponed and March 28, when the polls were
held.

However, operatives of the EFCC are said to be working on
the theory that the money was meant for the prosecution of the 2015
general elections.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity
because of the sensitivity of the case, said, “The DG of the NIA has met
with Vice-President Osinbajo and will submit documents pertaining to
the transaction.

“The DG admitted on record that the transaction
was authorised by former President Jonathan and Col. Sambo Dasuki, and
as such, was simply following orders from the commander-in-chief. He
will submit memos and other documents as evidence.”

Explaining how
the transaction took place, the source said a memo was raised by the
National Petroleum Investment Management Service on February 25, 2015,
two weeks after the postponement of the presidential election for
‘security’ reasons, based on Dasuki’s advice.

According to the memo, NAPIMS asked the CBN to release $289,202,382 to the NIA in cash.

The money was received by the NIA and kept in a safe house.

When
asked why President Muhammadu Buhari was not briefed on the existence
of the cash, the source said, “The DG NIA informed top security people
in the government of the existence of the cash.

“Specifically in
January 2016, a letter was written by the DG NIA to the NSA, Babagana
Moguno, on the existence of the cash. The memo exists and will also be
submitted to the panel.”

It was gathered that one of the posers
the NIA would solve was why the apartment, where the money was kept, was
registered in the name of the wife of the DG, Mrs. Folasade Oke.

“One
question the suspended NIA boss must answer when he meets with the
panel is why the apartment used for an official matter was registered in
his wife’s name,” the top government source said.